Caol Ila 12 year old “Quercus Alba” by Wilson & Morgan 54.5% 700ml

Known as “Mr. Consistent”, Caol Ila is Islay’s largest distillery, pumping out 6.5 million litres a year. While they use the same malt as their smaller sister distillery, Lagavulin, the distillation regime at Caol Ila produces a lighter sweeter spirit, famed for its white sugar and peanut butter character. This bottling is a vatting of one virgin American oak barrel and two ex-Bourbon barrels.

Nose: Salt air dried banana chips. Dry moss and lichen covered slate roof tiles.

Palate: Dutch salted liquorice and Bavarian pretzels. Italian high tea with profiteroles and white bread prosciutto club sandwiches. Burnt cinnamon and soft smoke.

Founded by Fabio Rossi, the grandson of the Venetian edible oil and wine merchant Giuseppi Rossi, Wilson & Morgan have earned their place in whisky fame. Following the golden rule, “Trust your palate and your instincts”, Wilson & Morgan have had the opportunity to bottle some wildly rare casks from some of Scotlands more elusive distilleries, including Port Ellen, Brora and Macallan. Fabio Rossi was also instrumental in the use of Sicilian Marsala wine casks in finishing whisky. In 2002 he bottled a Longmorn, finished in Marsala casks, which he then presented to author Michael Jackson, who dubbed Fabio as “The Tailor of Whisky”.